Anna Duková and Martin Bidař - first in the most important moment

They are the first junior world champions from the Czech Republic. Anna Duková and Martin Bidař were many times second this season, but they got to the top at the junior Worlds in Debrecen. Two days after their triumph they had a short chat with Absolute Skating.

During the season you were second several times, including the Grand Prix Final and the Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, but at the most important competition of the year you managed to win.

Anna: It is the peak of the season, so we are so happy that we managed to skate like this and to get to the top.

Did everything go as you planned in Debrecen?

Martin: Of course. Everything worked out, we set a new personal best and we made only minor mistakes that couldn't be noticed.

You seemed very emotional at the end of your Spanish themed long program. Martin just sat on the ice, as if he couldn't believe what happened.

Martin: I was exhausted, but it felt super. I was happy that we made it.

Could you hear the audience during your skate or were you so focused that you
didn't hear them?

Anna: We tried to be focused, so that we could deliver all the elements as we should. But of course the audience couldn't be unnoticed. The atmosphere was perfect, people were cheering and clapping for us.

Debrecen is not far from the Czech Republic, did you have friends or relatives in the stands?

Anna: My parents came to watch the competition.

Martin: I didn't have any relatives here, I prefer it that way.

Next year the senior Europeans are in Ostrava. What are your plans? Do you want to make the transition to the senior circuit next season?

Martin: We will try it, and for sure we would like to skate in Ostrava. But we will see what happens.

Anna: It would be the biggest competition for us so far. Senior competitions are much harder then juniors. We have never competed in senior yet, so we are an unknown pair, the judges don't know us.

Junior world champions can't be so unknown...

Martin: That might be true, but in seniors it's more difficult also because the free skate is longer and there is one more lift. It won't be easy. And as the youngest pair we probably won't have very good component marks. But the hardest thing is the extra lift.

Which elements do you like the most and which ones are your least favourite?

Anna: It's hard to say. I don't like to say which is my favourite element, because as I know myself and Murphy's law, I would fail that element next time.

Martin: It's the same for me. I don't really like the solo jumps, if I could change the rules, I would abolish them.

Anna competes also in singles. How can you manage both disciplines?

Anna: So far I can manage it, even though it is hard. However, there will be less and less singles competitions for me, we will concentrate on pairs. Competing in singles means more experience for me, because I attend more competitions, I get to see more new places, but I hope one day we still get to see everything together.

What are your goals as a pair?

Martin: To get to the Olympics and to show there what we are capable of.

Do you have any role models or skaters that inspire you?

Anna: It's not easy to choose one skater, because I like different things of different skaters. All of them have different strengths.

When you started to skate, was it because of someone in particular, or did you just try it and like it?

Martin: My mum and brother skated, so it was obvious I would skate too.

Anna: My friend from the kindergarten skated and I also wanted to try it. I begged my parents until they took me to the rink.

What do you like the most about your partner?

Anna: That we can talk about everything and even if we have different opinions, we still find a compromise.

Martin: This is the best thing, but in general we really get along well. We never argue.